Multimedia

Audio

The massive demonstrations and political upheaval in Egypt are being hailed as a new Arab awakening by Palestinians in East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Middle East analysts say the turmoil could empower a new and younger generation of Palestinian leaders seeking both personal dignity and a more democratic future.

As Arab music fills the air just after nightfall on East Jerusalem's bustling and colorful streets, the chief topics of conversation among Palestinians here are the astonishing developments in Egypt.

Close watch

The Egyptian revolt against President Hosni Mubarak's three decades in power and his decision not to seek re-election are both fascinating and stunning to many here in East Jerusalem.

"Palestinians are glued to the TV and following the news every minute," said Mahdi Abdul Hadi, chairman of the Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs in East Jerusalem.

Hadi is considered a leading political analyst in the region. He says the uprising of young Arabs seeking a better life and more democratic future represents a generational change in the Middle East.

"This wave is there and nobody can have a blueprint where it will lead us," added Hadi. "Because it is not traditional. It is not classic. It is not any more the thinking of the elites and the business. These young people, they want their dignity. Maybe this is a new way of portraying democracy."

Mubarak

Many Palestinians consider President Mubarak an ally for his role in peace talks with Israel, and for seeking reconciliation among rival Palestinian factions in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Dimitri Diliani is a member of the Fatah Revolutionary Council in east Jerusalem. He says some Palestinians have mixed feelings about the uprising in Egypt.

"We respect the people's opinions and concerns and their needs, but at the same time we appreciate President Mubarak's position on the peace process, his support for the peace process for many years," said Diliani.

Better future

Mahmoud Muna, 28, is a Palestinian who works in his family's bookshop in East Jerusalem. He hopes the winds of change in the Arab world will lead to a better future for people across the region.

"I guess the word is cautiously positive, really, cautiously excited about what is happening," said Muna. "We are hoping that this will develop into a Middle East revamp. A Middle East reshaping of the Middle East to get proper democracy around the Middle East countries and Palestine included."

In the West Bank, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has ordered his ministers and other government officials not to talk publicly about the situation in Egypt.

Anger toward Israel

Dimitri Diliani of the Fatah Revolutionary Council says Palestinians in the West Bank live better than many in poorer Arab countries and focus their anger more on the Israeli occupation than the Palestinian leadership.

"It is clear that the Palestinians in the West Bank, we do have a lower unemployment rate than other countries [and] better economic growth," added Diliani. "But at the same time, the obstacle to our development has been the occupation and the state of Israel, and towards that we do have almost daily uprisings and demonstrations."

Cause and effect

Diliani says some are concerned that if a transformation in the political leadership in Egypt comes too quickly, it could have a harmful impact on efforts to negotiate peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

"If change in Egypt took its time, that means the Egyptians can preserve the political discourse regarding the peace process, and therefore, maybe this would help with the peace process rather than affect it negatively," added Diliani. "So Egypt plays a huge role in the peace process and a huge role in influencing Arab countries. It is very important to be careful how to deal with Egypt."

Social networking

Back on the streets of East Jerusalem young people are using social networks to keep up with and discuss the rapidly changing events in Egypt. Mariam Ikermawi, 33, is a Palestinian activist who is director of the Jerusalem Center for Women.

"Oh my God, it is happening. Oh my God, Egypt has actually awakened," said Ikermawi. "And it has awakened like the youth has awakened… Using technology, using Facebook, using the Internet, using Twitter, this makes me very proud."

Analyst Mahdi Abdul Hadi says the uprising in Egypt is inspiring a growing confidence among young people to publicly express themselves after years of being too afraid to speak their minds.

"The positive thing is the awakening," said Hadi. "The positive thing is that people come to know the truth. The most important thing, the culture of fear is dead. Nobody is afraid of spelling [out] his opinion, his position, and his belief, and everybody is accepting to pay the price for that, especially the young generation."

Abdul Hadi says he believes the rebellion against autocratic rule will open a new chapter of Palestinian unity and help pave the way for a fresh generation of young Arab leaders.

NEW: Follow our Middle East reports on Twitter and discuss them on our Facebook page.

Manned deep space missions are still a long way off, but space agencies are already testing procedures, equipment and human stamina for operations in extreme environment conditions. Small groups of astronauts take turns in spending days in an underwater lab, off Florida’s southern coast, simulating future missions to some remote world. VOA’s George Putic reports.

Video

Manned deep space missions are still a long way off, but space agencies are already testing procedures, equipment and human stamina for operations in extreme environment conditions. Small groups of astronauts take turns in spending days in an underwater lab, off Florida’s southern coast, simulating future missions to some remote world. VOA’s George Putic reports.

Video

Fifty years ago, lawmakers approved, and U.S. President Lyndon Johnson signed, the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The measure outlawed racial discrimination in voting, giving millions of blacks in many parts of the southern United States federal enforcement of the right to vote. Correspondent Chris Simkins introduces us to some civil rights leaders who were on the front lines in the struggle for voting rights.

Video

Billions of dollars of so-called ‘dirty money’ from the proceeds of crime - especially from Russia - are being laundered through the London property market, according to anti-corruption activists. As Henry Ridgwell reports from the British capital, the government has pledged to crack down on the practice.

Video

Ottawa, Illinois, is the hometown of W.D. Boyce, who founded the Boy Scouts of America in 1910. In Ottawa, where Scouting remains an important part of the legacy of the community, the end of the organization's ban on openly gay adult leaders was seen as inevitable. VOA's Kane Farabaugh reports.

Video

Artificial limbs, including the most complex of them – the human hand – are getting more life-like and useful due to constant advances in tiny hydraulic, pneumatic and electric motors called actuators. But now, as VOA’s George Putic reports, scientists in Germany say the future of the prosthetic hand may lie not in motors but in wires that can ‘remember’ their shape.

Video

A British pro-democracy group has accused Russia of abusing the global law enforcement agency Interpol by requesting the arrest and extradition of political opponents. A new report by the group notes such requests can mean the accused are unable to travel and are often unable to open bank accounts. VOA's Henry Ridgwell reports.

Video

Talks on a major new trade agreement among 12 Pacific Rim nations are said to be nearing completion in Hawaii. Some trade experts say the "positive atmosphere" at the discussions could mean a deal is within reach, but there is still hard bargaining to be done over many issues and products, including U.S. drugs and Japanese rice. VOA's Jim Randle reports.

Video

Earth is in the midst of its sixth mass extinction. The last such event was caused by an asteroid 66 million years ago. It killed off the dinosaurs and practically everything else. So scientists are in a race against time to classify the estimated 11 million species alive today. So far only 2 million are described by science, and researchers are worried many will disappear before they even have a name. VOA’s Rosanne Skirble reports.

Video

Scientists have long been trying to develop an effective protection and cure for malaria - one of the deadliest diseases that affects people in tropical areas, especially children. As the World Health Organization announces plans to begin clinical trials of a promising new vaccine, scientists in South Africa report that they too are at an important threshold. George Putic reports, they are testing a compound that could be a single-dose cure for malaria.

Video

The latest issue of 'New York' magazine features 35 women who say they were drugged and raped by film and television celebrity Bill Cosby. The women are aged from 44 to 80 and come from different walks of life and races. The magazine interviewed each of them separately, but Zlatica Hoke reports their stories are similar.

Video

The United States is promising not to give up its fight against what Secretary of State John Kerry calls the “scourge” of modern slavery. Officials released the country’s annual human trafficking report Monday – a report that’s being met with some criticism. VOA’s National Security correspondent Jeff Seldin has more from the State Department.

Video

Abandoned more than 50 years ago, the underground streetcar station in Washington D.C.’s historic DuPont Circle district is about to be reborn. The plan calls for turning the spacious underground platforms - once meant to be a transportation hub, - into a unique space for art exhibitions, presentations, concerts and even a film set. Roman Mamonov has more from beneath the streets of the U.S. capital. Joy Wagner narrates his report.

Video

Greece has replaced Italy as the main gateway for migrants into Europe, with more than 100,000 arrivals in the first six months of 2015. Many want to move further into Europe and escape Greece’s economic crisis, but they face widespread dangers on the journey overland through the Balkans. VOA's Henry Ridgwell reports.

Video

After the closure of a major rubbish dump a week ago, the streets of Beirut are filling up with trash. Having failed to draw up a plan B, politicians are struggling to deal with the problem. John Owens has more for VOA from Beirut.

Video

A U.N. climate conference in December aims to produce an ambitious agreement to fight heat-trapping greenhouse gases. But many local governments are not waiting, and have drafted their own climate action plans. That’s the case with Paris — which is getting special attention, since it’s hosting the climate summit. Lisa Bryant takes a look for VOA at the transformation of the French capital into an eco-city.